Today, February 25th, 2022, Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-02) joined Reps. Bill Keating (MA-09) and Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01) to introduce legislation to impose sanctions on members of the Russian Federal Assembly who voted in favor of the Kremlin’s recognition of the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk as independent states.
“Putin and his cronies have shown no regard for international law and human life. They will stop at nothing to achieve their goal of destabilizing Ukraine, overthrowing the democratically elected government, and installing a Kremlin puppet in Kyiv,” said Miller-Meeks. “Imposing harsh sanctions on Russian officials who support Putin’s warmongering actions is a necessary step to hold Russia accountable. Moscow clearly has no desire to find diplomatic solutions to the current situation and we must react accordingly.”
“This legislation makes clear that any Russian officials who supports Vladimir Putin’s efforts to escalate Russia’s illegal occupation of Ukrainian territory will not be tolerated by the United States,” said Keating, Chair of the Subcommittee on Europe, Energy, the Environment, and Cyber. “Russian officials and oligarchs will face significant financial repercussions for supporting this renewed invasion of Ukraine because we understand the only way to deter Russian aggression is to target and sanction those policymakers and kleptocrats who willingly indulge Putin’s imperial fantasies. Senior Russian leaders underestimate the unity, resiliency, and resources of the transatlantic coalition, but we are firmly aligned in our resolve to stand with the people of Ukraine and their desire for a free, independent, and democratic future.”
“The Kremlin’s recognition of the independence of separatist breakaway regions in Eastern Ukraine and subsequent deployment of troops to sovereign Ukrainian territory is an act of war that directly violates the Minsk Protocol and removes all doubt that Russia seeks a diplomatic path forward,” said Fitzpatrick, Republican Leaderof the Subcommittee on Europe, Energy, the Environment, and Cyber.. “We need to impose immediate, crippling sanctions that strike at the heart of Putin’s corrupt regime and send a clear message about the consequences Russia will suffer for invading Ukraine’s sovereign territory. The world is watching, and the time to act is now.”
Background:
The Russian parliament recently passed legislation that called on Vladimir Putin to recognize the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk as independent states. Putin then made a public announcement that he would recognize the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk republics.
In response, this legislation will authorize the President of the United States to impose sanctions on any member of the parliament of the Russian Federation who voted in favor of the Kremlin’s recognition of legislation calling for the recognition of the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk as one or more independent states.
Original source can be found here
